• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.169-173
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• 2017

We provide a new physical insight on the hot molecular clouds near the nucleus of the obscured AGNs. We performed near-infrared spectroscopic observations of heavily obscured AGNs in order to reveal physical characteristics of molecular clouds, especially focused on the CO fundamental ro-vibrational absorption around $4.7{\mu}m$. We have made systematic moderate-resolution spectroscopic observations toward 30 representative (U)LIRGs using the AKARI/IRC, and some of the ULIRGs showed the strong CO absorption feature. For three bright (U)LIRGs that show a steep red continuum with the deep CO absorption feature, IRAS 08572+3915, UGC 05101, and IRAS 01250+2832, we have also made high-resolution spectroscopic observations using the Subaru/IRCS. We have successfully detected many absorption lines up to highly excited rotational levels, and these lines are very deep and extremely broad. The derived physical conditions of molecular clouds are extreme; the gas temperature is as high as several 100 to a 1000 K, the $H_2$ column density is larger than $10^{22}cm^{-2}$, and the gas density is greater than $10^7cm^{-3}$. Such hot and dense molecular clouds must exist around the central engine of the AGN.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.40.2-40.2
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• 2016

The attenuation of starlight by dust in galactic environments is investigated through models of radiative transfer in a spherical, clumpy interstellar medium (ISM). We show that the attenuation curves are primarily determined by the wavelength dependence of absorption rather than by the underlying extinction (absorption+scattering) curve; the observationally derived attenuation curves cannot constrain a unique extinction curve unless the absorption or scattering efficiency is specified. Attenuation curves consistent with the Calzetti curve are found by assuming the silicate-carbonaceous dust model for the Milky Way (MW), but with the $2175{\AA}$ bump suppressed or absent. The discrepancy between our results and previous work that claimed the Small Magellanic Cloud dust to be the origin of the Calzetti curve is ascribed to the difference in adopted albedos; we use the theoretically calculated albedos whereas the previous ones adopted empirically derived albedos from observations of reflection nebulae. It is found that the model attenuation curves calculated with the MW dust are well represented by a modified Calzetti curve with a varying slope and UV bump strength. The strong correlation between the slope and UV bump strength, as found in star-forming galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.0, is well reproduced if the abundance of the UV bump carriers is assumed to be 30-40% of that of the MW-dust; radiative transfer effects lead to shallower attenuation curves with weaker UV bumps as the ISM is more clumpy and dustier. We also argue that some of local starburst galaxies have a UV bump in their attenuation curves, albeit very weak.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.43.1-43.1
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• 2017

A three-dimensional (3D) $Ly{\alpha}$ radiative transfer code is developed to study the Wouthuysen-Field effect, which couples the 21 cm spin temperature of neutral hydrogen and the $Ly{\alpha}$ radiation field, and the escape fraction of $Ly{\alpha}$ from galaxies. The Monte Carlo code is capable of treating arbitrary 3D distributions of $Ly{\alpha}$ source, neutral hydrogen and dust densities, gas temperature, and velocity field. It is demonstrated that the resonance-line profile at the center approaches to the Boltzmann distribution with the gas temperature. A plane-parallel ISM model, which is appropriate for the neutral ISM of our Galaxy, is used to calculate the $Ly{\alpha}$ radiation field strength as a function of height above the galactic plane. We also use a two-phase, clumpy medium model which is composed of the cold and warm neutral media (WNM). It is found that the $Ly{\alpha}$ radiation field is strong enough to thermalize the 21 cm spin temperature in the WNM to the gas kinetic temperature. The escape fraction of $Ly{\alpha}$ is found to be a few percent, which is consistent with the $Ly{\alpha}$ observations of our Galaxy and external galaxies.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.77.1-77.1
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• 2019

It has been proposed by Gunn & Gott (1972) that galaxies may lose their interstellar gas by ram pressure due to the dense intra-cluster medium while falling to the cluster potential. The observational evidence for this process, which is known as ram pressure stripping, is increasing, and it is believed to be one of the key environmental effects that can dramatically change the star formation activity of galaxies and hence their evolution. Intriguingly however, some cases with clear signs of ram pressure stripping are found in the environment which betrays our expectations (e.g. large clustercentric distances), and our understandings to the detailed working principle behind ram pressure stripping seem to be still lacking. As one of the ways to gain more theoretical insights into the conditions for ram pressure stripping process, we have been comparing the gas truncation radius which is predicted based on the simple Gunn & Gott's prescription with what is actually observed in a sample of carefully selected Virgo galaxies. In this work, we present the results of our comparisons between the theoretically predicted truncation radius and the observationally measured truncation radius for individual galaxies in the sample and discuss which additional conditions are needed in order to fully understand the observations.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.141-145
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• 2017

We study $CO_2/H_2O$ ice abundance ratios in nearby galaxies using AKARI near-infrared slit spectroscopy. Past studies of the ices intensively examined $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios mainly in our Galaxy, and found that there were considerable variations in the $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios from object to object. The cause of the variations is, however, still under debate. As a result of the analysis of our sample that includes 1031 regions in 158 galaxies, the $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios are in a range of 0.05-0.30. In the dataset, we find that the $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios positively correlate with the $Br{\alpha}/PAH$ $3.3{\mu}m$ ratios which reflect the massive star formation activity. Furthermore, we find that the $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios positively correlate with the specific star formation rates of the galaxies where the ices are detected, that reflect the evolutionary stage of a galaxy. These results suggest that the $CO_2/H_2O$ ratios are enhanced in active star-forming regions and young galaxies.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.557-562
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• 2004

We discuss diffusion of particles in turbulent flows. In hydrodynamic turbulence, it is well known that distance between two particles imbedded in a turbulent flow exhibits a random walk behavior. The corresponding diffusion coefficient is ${\~}$ ${\upsilon}_{inj}{\iota}_{turb}$, where ${\upsilon}_{inj}$ is the amplitude of the turbulent velocity and ${\iota}_{turb}$ is the scale of the turbulent motions. It Is not clear whether or not we can use a similar expression for magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. However, numerical simulations show that mixing motions perpendicular to the local magnetic field are, up to high degree, hydrodynamical. This suggests that turbulent heat transport in magnetized turbulent fluid should be similar to that in non-magnetized one, which should have a diffusion coefficient ${\upsilon}_{inj}{\iota}_{turb}$. We review numerical simulations that support this conclusion. The application of this idea to thermal conductivity in clusters of galaxies shows that this mechanism may dominate the diffusion of heat and may be efficient enough to prevent cooling flow formation when turbulence is vigorous.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.97-110
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• 2000

Planetary nebulae provide a direct way to probe elemental abundances, their distributions and their gradients in populations in nearby galaxies. We investigate bulge planetary nebulae in M 31 and M 32 using the strong emission lines, H$\alpha$, He I, [O III], [N II], [S II] and [Ne III]. From the [O III] 4363/5007 line ratio and the [O II] 3727/3729, we determine the electron temperatures and number densities. With a standard modeling procedure (Hyung, 1994), we fit the line intensities and diagnostic temperatures, and as a result, we derive the chemical abundances of individual planetary nebulae in M 31 and M 32. The derived chemical abundances are compared with those of the well-known Galactic planetary nebulae or the Sun. The chemical abundances of M 32 appear to be less enhanced compared to the Galaxy or M 31.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.70.2-70.2
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• 2012

Ram pressure is known as one of the most efficient mechanisms to deplete the atomic gas of galaxies in the cluster environment. However, the influence of the ram pressure on the molecular gas is not yet clear. Since the molecular gas resides in the galactic center, thus in the deeper potential well, and has higher surface density than the atomic hydrogen, it has been known as that the molecular gas is not easily affected and/or stripped away by the ICM-ISM interaction. To investigate the influence of the ram pressure on the gas properties of galaxies, we compare HI and $^{12}CO$(J=1-0) distribution of NGC 4654 which is experiencing on-going ram pressure and shows distinct HI, CO, optical, and $H_2$ features due to the ram pressure. We discuss the possibilities of H2 formation from HI by the ram pressure and also the star formation activities.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.263-264
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• 2012

We present the properties of dust and the near-infrared spectral features in nearby early-type galaxies. The properties of dust are obtained from the AKARI far-infrared all-sky survey diffuse map. The AKARI/IRC is used for the near-infrared spectra. We improve spectral data with the new dark subtraction method on the basis of the knowledge acquired in our laboratory experiments of the engineering-model detector for the IRC. We have succeeded in fitting the continuum by a power-law function and detecting CO and SiO absorption features in early-type galaxy spectra. Comparing the properties of dust and near-infrared spectral features, we find that the power-law slope depends on dust temperature, but not on the dust mass, which suggests that low-luminosity AGNs may contribute to the changes in the power-law slope and dust temperature.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.255-259
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• 2001

PMDSPH is a combined 3D particle-mesh and SPH code aimed to simulate the self-consistent dynamical evolution of spiral galaxies including live stellar and collisionless dark matter components, as well as an isothermal gas component. This paper describes some aspects of this code and shows how its application to the Milky Way helps to recover the gas flow within the Galactic bar region from the observed HI and CO longitude-velocity distributions.